Written Answers Thursday 10 February 2005

Written Answers

Thursday 10 February 2005

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns in respect of the level of ambulance cover.

Mr Andy Kerr: Ambulance services make a vital contribution to high quality, responsive health care in Scotland. Through the Scottish Ambulance Service, the Scottish Executive is investing in more ambulance service staff, modern vehicles, better equipment and state of the art control and dispatch systems to help further improve the effectiveness of the service.

  The Scottish Executive also sets performance indicators for the Scottish Ambulance Service, including emergency response times. The Executive monitors performance against these targets, as of course does the ambulance service itself. It is the responsibility of the ambulance service to ensure that its resources are deployed to optimise its performance and to meet demand.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of additional funding over the planned allocation was granted to each local authority specifically targeted towards delivering essential services for refugees and asylum seekers in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, expressed also in comparison with that allocated to local authorities in each year by the National Assembly for Wales.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has not allocated any additional resources to local

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding it allocated to each local authority specifically targeted to assist them in the delivery of education services for refugees and asylum seekers in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding it allocated to each local authority specifically targeted to assist them in the delivery of social work services for refugees and asylum seekers in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has not allocated any additional resources to local authorities specifically to cover the delivery of social work services to refugees and asylum seekers. However, over £7 million has been provided since 2001 for projects promoting integration of refugees and asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated for asylum seeker costs or support to each local authority in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has not allocated any additional resources to local authorities specifically for asylum seeker costs or support. However, over £7 million has been provided since 2001 for projects promoting integration of refugees and asylum seekers.

  The Home Office is responsible for providing support to asylum seekers. However, from 1999 to 2003 the Scottish Executive paid grants to local authorities, on behalf of the Home Office, to cover support costs of asylum seekers who arrived prior to the establishment of the National Asylum Support Service. The full costs of these grants were reimbursed to the Scottish Executive by the Home Office. The breakdown of the payments is provided in the answer to question S2W-13857 on 9 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Dentistry

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Dumfries and Galloway regarding the provision of dental services in the area.

Rhona Brankin: Officials have had discussions with NHS Dumfries and Galloway about the provision of access to NHS general dental services including the appointment of additional salaried dentists and the development of improved dental facilities.

Dentistry

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dentists there were per head of population in each (a) NHS board area and (b) local authority area at 31 December 2004.

Rhona Brankin: Data on the number of NHS dentists at 31 December 2004 is not available centrally.

  The latest centrally-held information on hospital and community health service dentists and general dental practitioners in NHSScotland, as at 30 September 2004, was published today, 10 February 2005, on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at:

  www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Drug Misuse

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to crack down on drug dealing in communities.

Hugh Henry: The Minister for Justice announced in the debate, Tackling Drug Misuse, Protecting Scotland’s Communities on 27 October 2004 that funding from assets seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 would be reinvested to support those communities most affected by drugs.

  It was also announced that the reinvestment programme would be preceded by a national publicity campaign to encourage communities to report drug dealers to the police through the Crimestoppers confidential helpline. The campaign will be launched soon.

Education

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what vocational courses are being offered to intelligent pupils who lack interest in traditional academic subjects.

Euan Robson: The National Qualifications framework offers a range of vocational courses to all learners. The present provision is being extended by the introduction of new skills-for-work qualifications for 14 to 16-year-olds.

Enterprise

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish businesses are trading on the internet.

Allan Wilson: Last year’s figures for VAT-registered companies indicate that around 64,500 of them are trading on the internet. Roughly 60,000 of these are buying online and 25,500 have websites in which customers can order products and services online.

Gaelic

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from which area of the existing budget for Gaelic-medium education the sum of £10,000 for Stórlann, announced on 6 January 2005, came.

Peter Peacock: The sum of £10,000, announced on 6 January 2005, from a sum that may otherwise have remained unspent at the year end, came from a Scottish Executive Education Department budget. Stórlann also receives funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig. In addition, local authorities pass on to Stórlann a proportion of the grants for Gaelic education provided to them by the Executive.

Gaelic

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an evaluation of educational materials required by Gaelic-medium education has been carried out in order for the provision of materials for such education to have parity with the provision of materials for pupils being taught in the English language and whether there has been an assessment of the impact of any lack of equivalent materials on Gaelic-medium education’s ability to attract Gaelic-speaking teachers to teach in the Gaelic language.

Peter Peacock: Stórlann, the Gaelic Resources Centre, carries out an annual evaluation of the education materials required by teachers for Gaelic-medium education. The Scottish Executive seeks to ensure that there is adequate provision of good quality materials for Gaelic-medium classes. It would, however, be difficult to establish parity with the wide range of English language materials that are available for schools immediately. The Scottish Executive is not aware of any research that seeks to establish a correlation between the availability of Gaelic-materials in Gaelic-medium classes and the appeal of Gaelic-medium education to Gaelic speaking teachers. We will continue to support Stórlann to keep improving Gaelic-medium resources.

Gaelic

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are schools within the Gaelic-medium education sector currently using English books with pasted-over translations and, if so, whether it aims to replace these entirely with Gaelic translations and over what timescale.

Peter Peacock: It is the Scottish Executive’s aim that good quality materials should be available to pupils in Gaelic-medium classes and for all subjects. Stórlann has made very good progress in providing materials for Gaelic-medium education classes. There is now little need for Gaelic-medium classes to be using English books with pasted over translations. Stórlann has provided Gaelic books for all stages and most subjects of Gaelic-medium primary education.

Housing

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take any steps to assist local authorities and housing associations to acquire land for new affordable housing projects.

Malcolm Chisholm: Over the next three years we are making £1.2 billion available to support affordable housing projects across Scotland. We expect that a further £500 million of private funding will be levered in as a result of our substantially increased investment. A sizeable proportion of the available funding will be used to purchase land as part of our plans to fund the provision of 21,500 new affordable homes.

  In addition, Communities Scotland has an agreement with the Forestry Commission about releasing land for affordable housing, and we are looking to extend this approach to other public bodies. The planning system also requires local authorities to ensure that sufficient land is available for housing.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded convictions there have been for trafficking cocaine in (a) Scotland, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Dundee, (d) Edinburgh, (e) Glasgow and (f) Stirling in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the table.

  The Number of Persons Found Guilty, Cautioned or Given a Fiscal Fine for Trafficking (1) in Cocaine by Police Force Area, Scotland 1999-2002

  

Police Force
1999
2000
2001
2002


Central
4
0
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
3
0
1
2


Fife
0
0
2
0


Grampian
15
11
11
18


Lothian and Borders
6
6
2
3


Northern
1
0
0
1


Strathclyde
36
39
36
29


Tayside
7
7
7
7


Total
72
63
59
60



  Source: Home Office.

  Note: Trafficking is the combination of unlawful production, unlawful supply, possession with intent to supply unlawfully and unlawful import and export.

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13056 by Hugh Henry on 24 January 2005, how many crimes of carrying a knife were recorded in (a) Scotland, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Dundee, (d) Edinburgh, (e) Glasgow and (f) Stirling in each year since 1997.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information for the relevant crime categories in the Scottish Executive Justice Department classification of crimes and offences is given for the years 1997 and 1998 in the following tables. For information for the years 1999 to 2002, I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-1085 answered on 22 July 2003. For the equivalent information for 2003, I refer the member to the answer to S2W-11534 on 11 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

  Crimes of Possession of an Offensive Weapon and Having in a Public Place an Article with a Blade or a Point, Recorded by the Police in 1997 and 1998

  

1997
Possession of an Offensive Weapon1
Having in a Public Place an Article with a Blade or Point
Total


Scotland
4,079
1,901
5,980


Aberdeen
145
56
201


Dundee
209
86
295


Edinburgh
190
142
332


Glasgow
1,112
653
1,765


Stirling
41
13
54



  

1998
Possession of an Offensive Weapon
Having in a Public Place an Article with a Blade or Point
Total


Scotland
4,342
2,397
6,739


Aberdeen
134
46
180


Dundee
273
71
344


Edinburgh
213
142
355


Glasgow
1,279
941
2,220


Stirling
49
12
61



  Note: 1. Knives cannot be identified separately from other types of offensive weapon in the data held for this crime category.

Miscarriages of Justice

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons have been learned from recent high-profile miscarriage of justice cases and whether it is satisfied that no other injustices persist.

Cathy Jamieson: I am satisfied that our system is robust and fair, but no system of criminal justice is failsafe. Our system therefore includes an independent body, namely the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, with a remit to investigate alleged miscarriages of justice and, where appropriate, refer cases back to the Appeal Court.

NHS Hospitals

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact centralisation of cardiothoracic services at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital will have on NHS Greater Glasgow’s acute services review.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS Greater Glasgow and NHS Lanarkshire today commenced a  three month consultation exercise on this proposal. I am informed by NHS Greater Glasgow that the Golden Jubilee National Hospital proposal enables them to accelerate the siting of Cardiothoracic surgery on a single site as proposed in the Acute Services Review. This proposal will bring this forward by around five years.

Prison Service

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service is developing rehabilitation programmes intended to reduce reoffending rates in partnership with voluntary sector agencies and, if so, which agencies are involved.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  Currently there are no rehabilitation programmes being developed in partnership with the voluntary sector. However, SPS runs an employability approved activity that was formerly developed by Apex Scotland and SPS.

  Additionally, SPS works closely with over 100 voluntary and statutory agencies in the provision of reintegration services such as employment, housing and addiction support services that assist offenders on return to the community.

Prostitution

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the possibility of an increase in people-trafficking as a result of prostitution tolerance zones.

Hugh Henry: Stage 1 of the Expert Group on Prostitution examined the issues surrounding street prostitution, including tolerance zones, and their report is currently out for consultation. We will consider the expert group’s proposals, and the consultation responses, carefully. Stage 2 has yet to start and will consider people trafficking and indoor prostitution.

Roads

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will help Highland Council to complete the Inverness Southern Distributor Road by providing a canal and river crossing.

Nicol Stephen: The Inverness Southern Distributor Road is a local road project and therefore the responsibility of the Highland Council. Decisions on any new crossing of the Caledonian Canal and river by the route are a matter for the council in the first instance.

Roads

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to mitigate the effects of any increased noise level resulting from the proposed M74 northern extension, in light of the provisions in the EU ambient noise directive 2002/49/EC.

Nicol Stephen: There are no additional mitigation measures required as a result of the EU ambient noise directive over and above those already identified in the environmental impact assessment for the M74 completion project.

  Mitigation measures such as the use of low noise surfacing and noise barriers will be implemented to reduce the impacts of traffic noise once the road is opened. Appropriate measures will be put in place to ensure that noise disruption is kept to a minimum during construction. Grants will be available for eligible properties towards the cost of suitable noise insulation under the Noise Insulation (Scotland) Regulations 1975.

Roads

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how households in the vicinity of the proposed M74 northern extension will be affected by any increased noise levels resulting from the extension.

Nicol Stephen: Predicted noise effects resulting from the construction and operation of the M74 Completion and proposed mitigation are detailed in the environmental statement prepared for the scheme. Relatively few residential properties will experience a significant increase in traffic noise levels. Overall there are more properties and a larger population which are predicted to experience decreases in noise levels than increases and there will be an overall net benefit from the scheme.

Roads

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the report from the local public inquiry into the M74 northern extension.

Nicol Stephen: I can confirm that the report from the local public inquiry has been received and is under active consideration. It is hoped that a decision on whether or not the scheme should proceed will be made soon.

Roads

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the M74 northern extension will still be built using private finance.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-11172, on 1 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Executive Contracts

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what service and supply contracts it has with social enterprises.

Allan Wilson: The Executive does not hold data centrally which identifies contracts awarded to suppliers which could be classified as social enterprises. Therefore, this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Scottish Executive Contracts

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what further progress is being made on its review of social work.

Euan Robson: The 21st Century Social Work Review is currently gathering evidence on the role of the social worker from a wide range of sources. A call for contributions was issued on the 10 January and is already eliciting a significant response. An interim report will be given to the ad hoc Ministerial Group in the middle of March. We plan to make this public at the end of March.

Social Inclusion

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what role social capital plays in social inclusion and what impact any such role has on the role of the state in social inclusion.

Malcolm Chisholm: The concept of social capital continues to be the subject of active debate. Leading social scientists such as Putman define it in general terms as relating to "connections among individuals – social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trust that arise from them". Expressed in this way, claims have been made that social capital is influential in explaining a wide range of factors in society including educational performance, performance in the labour market, and civic participation, all of which relate to social inclusion.

  Yet the mechanisms by which social capital may operate to produce these effects is far from clear. Progress is being made in research to put the concept onto a more rigorous footing, for example to identify categories of social capital and to understand the significance of formal and informal networks and local and wider processes of social attachment, for different social groups in the community. Until this is clearer it is not possible to properly assess the role of the state in promoting social capital as a mechanism for increasing social inclusion.

  Researchers in the Scottish Executive are actively engaged with those developing the knowledge base in this important area.

Tourism

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the "first impressions" review report from Councillor Eric Milligan about standards of welcome and customer service for visitors arriving in Scotland and, if so, whether the report will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Mr Tom McCabe: Councillor Milligan submitted his report on 31 January. We are considering our response and will publish both in the last week of March.

Transport

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote community transport projects across Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive is supporting more than 100 community transport projects across Scotland. We have allocated budgets totalling £2.3 million in 2004-05. This funding will increase to £2.5 million in 2005-06.